She'd smiled at him, but when she spoke she still sounded disappointed, or distressed. He couldn't tell which, but neither was good. Ford furrowed his brows and tried to follow what she was saying, but she was admittedly losing him a bit. Sure, he worked to get paid, but he did also like his work (most days), and she seemed to take it as a foregone conclusion that he didn't like talking to her. He didn't know what he could have possibly said or done to have given her that idea. Hadn't he been kind to her, and listened attentively to everything she'd said, and even tried to anticipate her needs when he could? What in that could have given her the idea that he didn't want to be around her? She must have been self-conscious in general, he decided — but that was ridiculous. She, of all people, had no reason not to be confident in the value she brought to any conversation she was in.
A few lines from a poem sprang to mind: Because, in this deep joy to see and hear thee and breathe within thy shadow a new air, I do not think of thee—I am too near thee.
She had just exhaled a cloud of cigarette smoke, and Ford decided not to recite the poem to her. She might think he was being facetious if he talked about breathing within her shadow. But the point remained: she said happiness depended on leisure, and didn't seem to realize that at the moment his happiness depended on her.
You're not in love with her, he reminded himself, but it didn't really matter.
"You're not going to scare me off," he responded. "Whatever Aristotle said. I'm a leisure to choose who to spend my time with, aren't I? And I'd like to stay right here. I like your company. And since you're not fishing for compliments, I won't say any more about it," he continued with a teasing lilt to his voice.
A few lines from a poem sprang to mind: Because, in this deep joy to see and hear thee and breathe within thy shadow a new air, I do not think of thee—I am too near thee.
She had just exhaled a cloud of cigarette smoke, and Ford decided not to recite the poem to her. She might think he was being facetious if he talked about breathing within her shadow. But the point remained: she said happiness depended on leisure, and didn't seem to realize that at the moment his happiness depended on her.
You're not in love with her, he reminded himself, but it didn't really matter.
"You're not going to scare me off," he responded. "Whatever Aristotle said. I'm a leisure to choose who to spend my time with, aren't I? And I'd like to stay right here. I like your company. And since you're not fishing for compliments, I won't say any more about it," he continued with a teasing lilt to his voice.
Set by Lady!